Posted by on Jun 14, 2017 | 18 comments

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TOO HOT TO TROT!

Whoa, mama says it’s about 85 where she is and here I am basking in coolish weather and no smog, no cars, no TOURISTS blocking the streets and wandering into the taxi lanes without looking.  Maybe Rome is the new California, haha.  You walk where you want in California and if cars don’t like it, they can lump it.

I think. Haven’t heard news from there in a long while except from my Auntie Barbara who lives in a place with beautiful open markets, vineyards, cheese farms, cheap artichokes, you name it!  And mama says, what could be better than all the artichokes you would ever want just up the street in Watsonville?

But mama says “OH, it’s hot here.”

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But the heat grows great onions!!! These are from Tropea and sweet as Vidalia onions in the USA.

Nevertheless, it’s inspiring her to come up with cold dishes for lunch or dinner and right now she’s on a tuna, asparagus, tomato kick–sauces built around each one and cool as a cucumber, which is what is in the tuna one, haha.  All are for pasta but you could just spread them on big slices of tomato or cold meats or fish and be chilled out with summer.

 

1 large can of tuna

1 sweet onion, chopped coarse

1 stalk of celery, chopped coarse

1 small cucumber (take out the seed part down the middle, if you can, and use it for salads)

1 small handful of grilled almonds

1 tablespoon capers with juice

Juice of small lemon

A few leaves of cilantro or basil, fresh

Salt, fresh pepper

2 tablespoons plain yogurt

1/2 cup olive oil

Just put everything in a blender or food processor and let it rip until you have a smooth sauce.

Boil small pasta–penne, wagon wheels, etc. until it’s nice to bite into–al dente–at the tooth.  Drain and toss with sauce. Refrigerate for an hour and eat. Or just eat it right then at room temperature.

More to come, but I have to keep my eye on my kibble and make sure mama doesn’t make a sauce out of THAT!

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Hey, there are only 2 kibble left!!! Did mama actually use this stuff in something? Oh, boy…